Racist remarks against the Pashtun community amid the violent clashes between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers and policemen outside PTI chief Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore were seen on a section of social media, with many calling out this racism.
The clashes between PTI workers and law enforcers, who were attempting to detain the PTI chief in pursuance of the arrest warrants issued by a local court in Islamabad on Monday, intensified on Wednesday.
The PTI workers threw stones and petrol bombs at the police officers, leaving as many as 54 policemen injured. The PTI workers also set fire to vehicles.
To disperse the PTI workers, police had used water cannons and tear gas shells. The police had also baton-charged them.
During the protest, a social media user pointed out that a ‘Pathan’ is setting fire to a police van and claimed “Lahoris are not involved in violence against policemen but Pathans”.
Thanks I couldn’t read ‘Pashtun’ written across his shirt in block letters. You have great eyesight. https://t.co/pbEgcwmnDR
— Abbas Nasir (@abbasnasir59) March 15, 2023
Social media users took strongly to the “racist statements” with one social media user questioning if he could read “Pashtun” written across his shirt.
Another social media user criticised the racist remarks and called them “deplorable”.
Totally deplorable, to condemn a bad thing doesn’t require to hurl a racist slur. https://t.co/GiRB8jWSFY
— Muhammad Arbaz Khan (@100k_ohm) March 15, 2023
A social media user said that “you could have come up with something better but you prefer to be a racist”.
Bro you could come up with somethimg better but na you prefer to be a racist https://t.co/OVwT6uRfGp
— Enchantress (@utopiancreature) March 15, 2023
Another social media user said that he disagrees with PTI and its politics but the remarks made by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supporters are reflective of their “Punjabi nationalism”.
A huge disagreement with PTI and Imran Khan but PMLN is a racist and Punjabi nationalist political organisation. Their grooming has been done in Punjabi nationalism. For Pashtuns it’s loss everywhere. PTI defaulted KP and PMLN will snatch the bread by block flour supply. https://t.co/2ZhxjSzlj8
— Kalim Ullah Khan (@KalimAlikhel) March 15, 2023
Earlier, the government has claimed that a “Gilgit-Baltistan force” was being used to assault Punjab police “who are trying to implement court orders to detain Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan” outside his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.
The statement was made by Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb during today’s press conference.
